


Moving, Not Running (Perhaps)

by AgataVarano



Series: Scar [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Sarcasm, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgataVarano/pseuds/AgataVarano
Summary: Katrina Popova is said to be as cold as Russian winter, but sometimes even the strongest people need to escape.
Relationships: Original Female Character & Original Female Character
Series: Scar [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826437





	Moving, Not Running (Perhaps)

**Author's Note:**

> • English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes.  
> • Find this and more fics on my Tumblr @/let-me-write-my-life and my Instagram @/agata_varano.

_ I want to find something I've wanted all along, somewhere I belong. - Linkin Park (Somewhere I Belong) _

The relationship between Lara and Katrina had never been easy and everyone knew it pretty well. Elize, being friend with both of them, had grown used to their infinite banter and had just accepted the fact that perhaps, despite their many common traits, they were not made to get along. And maybe it was just because of their many similarities that they couldn't stay in the same room without throwing deadly glances at each other, as if they were always about to pull out a gun and shoot each other in the head.

Unfortunately for them, since they were both great spies the Head of Department often insisted on them working together. At least Lara could appreciate Katrina's abilities with firearms and the fact that she never questioned plans, even if they sounded dumb as hell. This last thing in particular was very good considering that most plans were made by Lara and she accepted little to no criticism on her ingenious ideas.

Elize's death only seemed to deteriorate their relationship. Lara knew her and Katrina were quite close, maybe more than friends, and knowing that she was the reason why her friend was buried six feet underground made her feel guilty for the pain she had brought to Katrina too. 

On the other hand, Katrina silently watched as Lara got trapped in a relationship that was far from healthy. More than once Katrina suggested Lara what to do, how to run away, but her advices were deliberately ignored. In the end, it was Katrina to leave.

March 2013, New York.

The coffee Katrina made always tasted like shit, no matter how hard she tried. Actually Lara doubted Katrina even tried at all, but that wasn't the point. 

"So you're leaving the Agency?" Lara asked, a skeptic smirk on her face.

"I'm not leaving the Agency, I'm leaving New York. There's a difference, Ross," the other answered, looking at her colleague with an annoyed gaze. "You won't get rid of me that easily."

Lara took another sip of her terrible beverage. "I see, you can't stand the idea of not being as good as me. You're human, you do have flaws." She got a frozen look from Katrina, but just took another sip of coffee and went on talking. "I mean, you're not me."

"Do I have to remind you I have a gun with me, дурак?" Katrina stepped away from the counter of the kitchen and looked at Lara straight in the eye. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"The great Katrina Popova needs  _ my _ help! That's something I've never thought I could see." Lara took another sip and stood up. "What do I have to do?"

"What about giving me ten thousand dollars to settle down in Boston?" 

Lara looked at the Russian spy with eyes wide open, almost choking on her drink. "Last time I checked the White House did not rent rooms and was not in Boston."

Katrina sighed. "I know a few people in Boston. Not cool people, to be honest, but they still want money from me." Lara was still not convinced. "Why do you think I work here? Because I like shooting people in the head? I sure do, but I also need money."

Lara sighed. "Sorry, I don't have that much money. You will have to ask someone else." Lara was about to leave, but a hand gripped her wrist.

"I know you are as broke as I am, but I'm sure you can help me find those money." Lara was surprised to see Katrina worried. She was always so cold and detached, like Russian winter had found its home in her. "Please." That last word was almost whispered, a begging coming directly from Katrina's stone cold heart. 

"Fine, I'll help you." Katrina smirked. A smirk probably was the closest thing to a smile she could do. At least with Lara. "But you owe me a big one. And I'm the leader of this thing, I'm not taking orders from you, got it Karenina?"

Katrina breathed out a laugh, sincerely surprised by the spy's knowledge of Russian literature. "And how are we going to get money for that, Lee?" Katrina looked down at Lara for guidance. In that moment Lara understood being the leader was really a pain, especially considering she was nothing more than a confident moron.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to steal it." A huge smile rosed on Katrina's face and stayed there for a moment before she realized her friend was deadly serious.

"Seriously? We really fell this low?"

"You are literally a deadly spy. Stealing a few thousand dollars isn't  _ for sure _ the worst thing you've ever done." 

Katrina was still not convinced. "I could steal those money myself, I thought-"

"Did you really think that if I had that much money I would still work here with you? You're crazy!" 

Katrina laughed and put a hand on Lara's shoulder. "So? When are we starting, Amy?"

The ballroom was full of guests, there were people wandering around in expensive suits and gowns everywhere, everyone with a glass of champagne in their hands.

Katrina looked out in the room and then at Lara confused, her blonde hair moving around her face as she turned to the spy. "Why are we here?"

Lara sighed in annoyance before taking a sip of her drink, her other hand playing with the fake pearls of her necklace. "You said it yourself. You need money and there's no better way to make money than fool some drunk rich-as-fuck businessmen into leaving you their company."

Katrina couldn't believe her friend was serious. Her idea was terrible and crazy and what scared her the most was that it could actually work. "And tell me, boss, how do you plan on making one of those dudes drunk enough to leave  _ you _ his company?"

Lara smirked. Katrina knew pretty well it was a bad signal: all of Lara's worst plans always came after a smirk. "Well, we may use some of your Russian beauty and some of my American ability to mindf*ck the innocents. Do you like the idea?"

The Russian spy rolled her blue eyes. "No, but it looks like I have no choice." As soon as a waiter came across her, she left him her empty glass. "Let's end this torture fast, okay?"

Lara smiled. "As you wish, Kat."

"And one last thing!" She said, pointing her finger at the other woman. "Don't call me Kat."

Passing by the spy, Lara smirked. "As you wish,  _ Iarna rusă _ ."

"Hey doll, you know you've got beauuutiful eyes?"

Lara looked up at the man by her side. He was taller than her, brown eyes and dark hair. He was visibly drunk and his suit gave out the idea he was rich too. The perfect one.

Lara turned to face the man and leaned against the table behind her, casually biting her lower lip. "Really? That's very kind of you."

The man giggled, then almost threw up on the floor. Katrina, who was standing close to Lara, forced herself not to laugh. If American economy was ruled by men like that, it was a miracle the US were not facing a terrible crisis yet. 

The businessman straightened and looked at Katrina. "You look cute too!"

Katrina tried to fake a smile, slightly curving her red lips, then spoke: "Thank you. You're very kind but we need your help."

The man nodded unsure. None of the two women was sure if he was listening to them or just looking at their breasts. Lara continued, making sure to play with her hair and smirk as much as possible: "My friend has just lost her job and  _ really _ needs money, and I'm sure that if you're generous even half of how handsome you are, you will help her. Will you?"

The man wasn't really paying them attention, too focused on the cleavage of Lara's purple dress and disadvantaged because of his not completely clear view caused by the alcohol. He just nodded and dragged the two out of the room. The three of them walked down a corridor until they stopped in front of an office. There, the man opened the door and fainted on the floor. Katrina stared down at him, while Lara looked around the room. After a few minutes, she found a safe.

"Katrina, we need a key, maybe he has it with him," she said, not looking away from the wall in front of her.

They heard footsteps coming from outside the room. Lara sprinted to the door and looked out. There was no one but a few guests wandering around, as sober as their friend on the floor. 

In the meantime, Katrina was inspecting the man's jacket, but she found nothing. The pockets of his trousers were empty as well. With a sigh, she stood up and looked at the safe: it wasn't buried in the wall, they could take it away from there. 

She turned to face her friend, who was busy looking on the shelves of the library. "Amy, what if we just take the whole thing away?"

"Do you really think  _ no one _ will notice us going around with a  _ goddamn safe _ ?" The other asked offended.

Katrina nodded. She was right. "Maybe there's another way..." she said, slowly taking the safe out of its little hole in the wall and putting it down on the desk. 

Lara touched every spot of its surface, desperately looking for a hole or anything that could be some kind of help. After a long inspection, she gave up. "Are we even sure there's money in there?" She huffed, tugging a stroke of hair behind her ear.

Katrina thought of shaking the safe to understand if it was empty, but when she was about to do it she noticed something under it. A little, shining key had been placed right under the safe with a piece of grey tape. She laughed at how much they had overestimated their little friend. With a smooth move, she opened the safe and looked at what was inside of it: money, a lot of money, and even a few watches and golden stuff. She took it all out and placed it on desk, then let Lara began counting the banknotes. There were more or less twelve thousand dollars, three watches made of gold, a diamond necklace and two rings made of white gold. 

"Take what you need and let's go," Lara ordered before throwing a look at the door behind her, then at the man laying on the floor. He was sleeping deeply, a few snores coming out of his mouth every once in a while. Katrina took all the banknotes and hid them in her bag, then put the jewelry in a paper bag, which she threw at Lara.

"Your part of the loot," she added when she saw her friend's confused look. She proceeded to leave and turned again at Lara, who had not moved from beside the man. "I'm kinda sure those things are worth quite a lot. Oh, and don't worry about him, he is so drunk he won't remember a thing." She stopped and looked at Lara straight in the eye. She took a deep breath and spoke. "Thank you." 

Lara smiled. "No problem, Kat."

Katrina huffed and rolled her eyes. She hated that name more than anything else. Then, out of nowhere, she hugged Lara. 

Lara was not ready to that kind of affection from her, but weakly hugged her back. She could feel all the "thank you" Katrina was not able to speak out. She didn't know a lot about her, to be honest, but she had always had a feeling the two of them had something in common, something that made them crash against each other but not hard enough to break them. Something no one among the other agents had. Something that Lara felt came from shared experiences, shared pain. And well, if moving to another city could help Katrina fight that pain then she was happy to help. 

None of them knew how long that hug lasted. Maybe a minute, maybe a hour. It didn't matter. In the end Katrina stepped back and smiled, this time for real.

"I'll miss you, Lee. I have to go, but I owe you one. Goodbye."

And that was the last time Lara ever saw Katrina Popova.


End file.
